A new military front? Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan put Mecca pact into action
Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are set to hold their first high-level defence meeting under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, with the talks expected to focus on military coordination, defence industries and regional security.
Senior officials from Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are scheduled to meet in Istanbul on Monday for the first committee meeting under their new joint defence agreement.
Foreign and defence ministers, along with military chiefs from the three countries, are expected to participate in the meeting.
The discussions are likely to focus on strengthening defence capabilities, improving coordination between the three militaries and expanding cooperation in defence industries, including joint production and development.
International security issues will also be on the agenda.
What is the Mecca defence agreement?
Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on August 7 amid heightened regional tensions.
The agreement includes a collective-defence provision under which an armed attack against one of the three countries would be treated as an attack against all three.
The arrangement has been compared with Article 5 of the NATO treaty, which establishes the principle of collective defence among NATO members.
The Mecca pact is intended to strengthen deterrence and improve the three countries' ability to coordinate their response to external military threats.
Why the pact matters
The agreement brings together three countries with significant military and strategic capabilities.
Turkey has NATO's second-largest military, Pakistan is a nuclear-armed state, and Saudi Arabia is a major global oil exporter.
The three countries have also expressed concerns over the wider regional conflict involving Israel and Iran, including attacks affecting Gulf states and energy infrastructure.
The defence talks therefore come against a broader backdrop of regional instability and concerns about energy security.
Pact could expand beyond three countries
Turkey has indicated that the agreement could eventually include additional countries.
Egypt has emerged as one potential member. Cairo has one of the region's largest militaries and maintains relations with Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan through an informal grouping known as "STEP".
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said several countries have expressed interest in joining the pact, with technical issues delaying their entry.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Cairo was studying the agreement seriously but would need to examine its constitutional provisions and existing legal commitments before making a decision.
Pact and existing alliances
Turkey has maintained that the Mecca agreement is intended to complement existing alliances rather than replace them.
The first committee meeting is expected to provide an early indication of how the collective-defence framework will operate in practice and how closely the three countries plan to coordinate their military and defence industries.